Thursday, 26 April 2018

It certainly has not been a good week for the MDC and its president Nelson Chamisa. Hardly a day after the MDC failed to get a court ruling stopping its former vice president Thokozani Khupe from using the party’s name, yesterday the country’s largest opposition party was further hit by more bad news. The MDC is set to lose property over a $108 000 debt owed to one of its former employees, Sally Dura, who hasn’t been paid for 27 months. Apart from 27 months’ salary arrears, Dura is also owed damages for 36 months and other benefits. According to a statement issued by LM Auctioneers, the party’s property which is going under the hammer include, two sets of four piece lounge suites, two-seater leather couches, glass TV stand, wooden centre table, 36 chairs, two desktop computers, four filing cabinets, two office fans, Capri bar fridge, six office desks, three monitors and five printers. Dura, together with 15 other MDC employees jointly won an arbitration award for $600 000 for unfair dismissal and the opposition party was ordered to reinstate the claimants with their full salaries in October 2016. Following the award, the MDC is said to have appealed and subsequently lost the appeal at the Labour Court. The applicants then applied for the quantification of the award. This is not the first case the MDC has been entangled in labour disputes. In 2015, the deputy sheriff raided the now late leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s residence in Highlands and the party headquarters but failed to attach any property. The Deputy Sheriff left both properties empty-handed after the MDC produced a court order staying the execution. This was after the MDC reportedly terminated contracts of 13 security aides in August 2010 before the Labour Court reversed the decision and ordered the party to reinstate them with full benefits. Judge Justice Priscilla Chigumba ordered the party to pay five percent interest on the varying amounts awarded to the employees in addition to the legal costs. Daily News